The US mens’ water polo team finally fell back to earth on the final day of the Beijing Games, hanging with the vaunted Hungarians for a half before the two-time defending Olympic champs finally pulled away in the second to win 14-10. Despite the loss, this tournament was a huge success for the American men, who grace the medal stand for the first time since current coach Terry Schroeder was suiting up in 1988.

After a 20 year drought of its own, Hungary has now claimed the last three Olympic goal medals, cementing Hungary’s position as the absolute bosom of water polo. Not given a serious chance of medaling by the world polo powers coming into the Olympics, the ninth-ranked Americans certainly made it clear why it’s important to actually play the games. Putting away the likes of Italy and Germany is one thing, and those wins alone would have made this a respectable Olympics for the Americans. But downing Croatia and Serbia — that rocks the very foundations of the European water polo tradition.

With any luck, this performance with help to extricate the USOC’s head, currently stuck in its ass. That august organization allegedly cut the water polo team’s funding — if I heard Wolf Wigo and Generic Sports Announcer’s conversation accurately during the broadcast of the gold-medal game. Throw us a friggin’ bone here.

Congratulations to the team on a magical run. Welcome back to the world’s top tier. Strange things happen when you turn huge brass into solid silver.

The US mens’ water polo team dominated Serbia, 10-5, in the semifinals to continue its magical run through the Beijing Olympic tournament. Through to the gold-medal game, the Americans are assured their first medal since 1988. 

Tony Azevedo scored three times, going off again after failing to score against Germany. He did the same thing in the Croatia game after being held scoreless in the Americans’ 4-2 loss to Serbia in group play. 

The US will face Hungary in the gold-medal game and I, for one, am stoked to see this match-up. If you’re going to win the gold, you may as well beat the best to get it.

Schroeder's Army

The US men’s water polo team continues to blow away Olympic expectations, handling Germany, 8-7, in a must-win affair that sees them advancing out of group play for the first time since Barcelona. Naturally, Pub Wisdom predicted the outcome in a previous post.

Even coming off their upset win over world No. 1 Croatia, the victory over Germany is a huge game for the US program. By prevailing, the Americans won their group — ahead of the Croats, Serbs, and Italians, among others — and earned a quarterfinal bye. If they can run their next two games, they’re golden.

Inspired 6-on-5 execution, stout defense, and quality shot-making was the difference in a game in which Tony Azevedo couldn’t score. Two other Americans, including Jeff Powers, netted a pair of goals each against Germany’s goalkeeper, reputed to be the best in the world. To wit, the Americans had only managed three goals against the guy in each of their last two meetings with the Germans, both decisive losses. But the Americans straight lit him up, taking full advantage of their extra-man sets with precision and patient execution while the Germans let their man-up opportunities slip away.

The Germans kept grinding and briefly tied the Americans at 5-5, and also had the apparent equalizer in the final minute — a filthy backhand — but it was disallowed. The Americans would have still advanced with the draw, so the importance of the controversial incident was limited, but drawing instead of winning would have meant no quarterfinal bye. One German, Nossek, scored Germany’s first four goals — he just had the keeper’s number and single-handedly carried the Germans offensively in the first half.

Despite an automatic bid in the final four, the Yanks are still considered underdogs to even medal. They’ll play either Spain or the sneaky Serbs in the semis. Rumors are swirling around the Dong about the Serbs taking a powder in their 12-11 loss to Italy in order to goose the brackets and end up with an easier road to the gold-medal game. By losing the game, they conceded the group to the Americans, who they beat 4-2 in group play, but avoided having to play either arch-rival — and 2007 European champs — Montenegro or perennial contender Hungary in the quarterfinals. Instead, they drew Spain.

So the Americans will likely have to beat Serbia  to advance to the gold-medal match against either Montenegro or Hungary. If they lose, they will no doubt face a stiff test — in the form of some other pissed-off Eastern European powerhouse — in the battle for bronze. Even bronze would be huge for the Americans. But right now, they have to just focus on capitalizing on what they learned in their 4-2 loss to Serbia in group play and staying on the roll that’s seen them beat China, Italy, Croatia, and Germany. As they say in China, keep your eye on the Dong.

While the world’s attention was fixed on the Cube, watching Michael Phelps collect his — ho-hum — eight golds and seven WRs, the real spectacle was unfolding over at the Dong. Oh, you haven’t heard of the Dong? While it doesn’t have quite the cache of the Bird’s Nest or the Cube, the Dong — Ying Dong Natatorium — is the place to be in Beijing by those in the know.

Jeff Powers winds up.

Tony Azevedo and the rest of the ninth-ranked USA water polo team dinged the dong in a big way, taking down reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 Croatia, 7-5, in a huge upset and making those lucky, team-building mustaches on the Croatian team seem like nothing more than, well, hair. 

Goal-machine Azevedo roared back from the U.S.’s 4-2 loss to Serbia, in which he went scoreless,  with three goals and an inspired game overall. The Americans showed few weaknesses and made few mistakes as they took control early and locked down the vaunted Croatian offensive attack.

This is a ridiculous upset for the Americans, who haven’t medaled since 88, but it will be nothing more than a nice consolation if they don’t back it up with a win against 2-2 Germany on Monday. It’s win or go home. But after beating the Chinese and Italians, playing the Serbs tough, then giving the world’s best team the business, the Americans have never been better positioned to ride the momentum into the medal round.

Water polo is game of momentum, and no one is rolling quite like the Yanks at the moment. So, as they say in China, keep your eye on the dong.

Pub Wisdom Predicts: USA 9-8 GER

Ratko Vents

If you weren’t down with Barack before, this should seal the deal. Barreled? Maybe not. But I’ll be damned if this footie doesn’t suggest that Barack has been locked in many times before. The estilo’s a little stiff but what the hell. I’d like to see the presidency decided by a man-on-man bodysurfing heat at size. Whaddya got, McCain?

Montez

Long-time San Clemente residents will remember the big metal shoe that used to be part of the playground at San Luis Rey Park. It was kind of weird and could smell pretty gnar from time to time, but it definitely had more character than the generic jungle gym there today, same as at every other park in every other city. But the shoe is long gone, and so too is any semblance of peace and innocence the park may have enjoyed until now.

In a tragic turn of events, the body of 26-year-old Juan Montez, a Capo Beach man, was found at the tennis courts. He had suffered upper-body trauma and apparently bled out pretty bad. You can read the details here.

The Trestles Hood is one of the rootsiest, most down-to-earth neighborhoods going, but it’s got a little more of an edge than initially meets the eye, a fact this sad and gruesome incident makes all too apparent. Heavy. Our thoughts are with the loved ones left behind.

Damn.

Double Damn. Carlos Cuellar, who positively locked down the Rangers defense last season, has done what was likely inevitable — get noticed by the Premiership. Following Alan Hutton’s lead, another key member of RFC’s defense has moved on up to the Premier League with the announcement that Cuellar came to terms to play for Aston Villa this season.

After last season’s successful run, one has to ask why Cuellar was so anxious to get outta Glasgow. It could be the early exit from the Champions League or his assessment of the Light Blues prospects this year. Pessimists might put more stock in these notions than I do. Me? I think it simply comes down to the fact that he couldn’t resist the temptation to play on the world’s biggest stage.

Damn. Carlos, you will be missed. You quickly became a favorite and enstilled supreme confidence back there. Part of me wishes you well. The other part hopes you get lost in the shuffle and forgetten amidst the mediocrity in the middle of the Premier League pack, and that you’ll secretly — or not so secretly — regret your decision.

Freshly promoted Hamilton Academical have made an early statement in their SPL debut, shaming a well-coached and favored Dundee United side with a 3-1 come-from-behind drubbing. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in the DUFC clubhouse after that match for Craig Levein’s tongue-lashing. His stock rose sharply last season as he cooly, calmly fielded a side that was competitive week in, week out. This is certainly not the way he wanted to start this season’s campaign.

It was that sort of week, however, as the big Glasgow clubs also looked a wee bit sleepy, sluggish, and rusty in their openers.

You’ve got to hand it to the Accies, however. Down 0-1 after an own-goal they could have, lips quivering, thrown in the towel. Instead, they rattled off three goals to move to the top of the table. Refreshing to see them there, and they should savor it because it won’t last long as the season unfurls and begins to make some sense of the standings.

You can’t deny that early signs indicate that this Hamilton Academical side feels nothing like Gretna, though.

Ciao Fiorentina, Hello Manchester…

It wasn’t pretty, but Sir Walter Smith’s (I’ve just knighted him myself, so shaddup) strategy worked flawlessly as Rangers held the Viola scoreless in Florence, then sacked up during a nervy round of penalty kicks, including the deal-sealer by Nacho Novo (above). Here’s the report.

Rangers are through to their first European final in 36 years, and will face a Zenit side that served up a 4-0 drubbing of Bayern Munich in the other bracket.

Fiorentina may have been the classier side — I’m anticipating Aloysius’s forthcoming comments on the Telegraph message boards already — and they can soothe themselves with that knowledge as they watch the final on television. Snigger snigger.

Now, if Rangers can only survive their final six domestic fixtures to claim the SPL crown, in doubt in large part due to their unexpected European success, how sweet it would be.

According to the preview of this weekend’s Big West conference weekend series between UC RIverside and Cal State Northridge — bitter rivals back in the D2 CCAA — the latest set of Strength of Schedule ratings at Boydsworld.com has UC Riverside’s schedule ranked as the toughest in all of Division I College Baseball. (I looked and couldn’t find it at www.boydsworld.com-PW)

From the UCR release: The Highlanders rank ahead of defending national champion Oregon State and current PAC-10 leader Stanford. UCR has played #5 UC Irvine three times, #8 Nebraska four times this season, #21 San Diego twice, #22 Cal State Fullerton and #25 Long Beach State three times. UCR plays #5 UC Irvine once more for a non-conference match-up on May 6th.

That said, they’re well under .500 this season overall, and have their hands full in a Big West conference race that looks to be an all-out dogfight. They currently are tied for 4th with No. 25 Long Beach State.

The Highlanders have retained their propensity to swing above their weight when they play the heavy programs. To wit, they’ve won weekend series against two top-ten teams — UC Irvine when they were No. 5, just last weekend, and Long Beach State, while they occupied the No. 9 slot earlier in the season. They don’t have the consistency of last year’s Big West-winning squad, but if they can turn some of the experience they’ve gained playing the toughest schedule in the land into a second-half surge and sneak into the rankings, they could well find a spot in a regional.

Ace sophomore stopper Joe Kelly is back in the bull pen for Doug Smith, and proved stone-cold in the 9th inning during Sunday’s rubber game win over UCI at Anteater Field — another bit of mo’ upon which the Highlanders can build.